All Things Change
by RasberryGirl
Summary: After four years of fighting the, group is becoming reckless and are desperate for a final resolution. *HR for both couples and a bit of brutality.*


All Things Change

Chapter One Prologue

"Is it healthy to be this way, to love a person so much it's an obsession? I don't want to think it could, but I'm telling you right now I'm not just infatuating. I love him. I love him and that won't ever go away."---Cassie to Rachel 

The park in the morning was tinted a bright orange, making the empty stone paths glow with warmth. Tall stately oaks hid among the shadows, and the hazy darkness of mountains loomed above and behind them. The short springy grass was wet with dew from last night's rains. Dandelions and acorns were scattered messily across the ground. Many lie crushed by the wooden picnic tables and green garbage cans. A small playground lay uninhabited before us, the plastic swings wound tightly around the cold metal poles, seesaws frozen perpetually in midair. Homes and buildings from across the street were as deserted of movement as the open field was of animals. 

Jake stared at the painted sky silently. A lone tear rolled down his face slowly and he reached over to take my hand in his. I kissed it and held it in both of mine. It was 4:00 A.M. and the world around us was still. For the past couple of weeks neither of us had slept more than a few hours a night. We'd both come here to watch the sun rise up over the horizon when the room inside the walls of our homes became too small to breathe.

Jake's unrest was probably for many of the same reasons as mine but not all. I couldn't ever understand the amount of stress he must deal with. I only knew what he confided in me, which wasn't much. He didn't like unloading his problems on other people. He felt like it was another weakness among countless others he felt he had to conquer. I wished he wouldn't think those things. I wished he could see how very wrong he was.

Did he ever stop to think about precious he is? Did he know? So many people love him, he's so special and despite what he thinks he's not a burden. He's priceless and I felt so bad that I couldn't help him see that through his heavy depression. A couple of years back he once told me he wished he had died that night at the construction sight, that it probably would've been better that way. I told him we'd be dead long ago if it weren't for him, which was the truth. What I hadn't told him was if he had died I everything important to me would've died along with him. I'd probably just disappear. Like John Berryman.

That poor man's entire life had been erased because of my selfishness, of my need of AJ's presence in my life. I mean, he'd done a few things to us I wouldn't exactly call friendly, but as far as I knew he didn't murder anyone, never mind blotting them away as if they were never there. The word hypocritical didn't even begin to describe my actions the day I came between his would be parents. Sometimes I wondered where they were now, what they were doing now that they'd never met each other. I liked to think they both led good lives. It was the only thing that kept me from going over the edge.

I prayed to God everyday that if we ever won we'd be able to wash away the blood of thousands that had stained our hands over the years. It was the only hope I'd managed to keep alive after all that time had passed. But deep inside I knew, that whatever conscience I had left would never let me shed the guilt of John Berryman's non-existence. I didn't deserve anything more than what I'd given to him, which was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I didn't realize I'd been crying until I felt the tears softly falling on our entwined hands. I closed my eyes and willed myself to stop. I couldn't. Jake just held me tighter, not saying a word, offering as much comfort someone in pain himself could. 

I wanted to tell him about my greatest sin terribly, yet every time I came close a deeper knowing chewed at the back of my mind, almost as if something was telling me not to. I wondered if it was just me being paranoid, or if it really was someone trying to warn me of the mistake I might make in revealing that horrible secret. But no matter how much I thought about it, I never came up with a legitimate answer. Maybe it was just never meant for anyone else to know, including Jake. I decided to let my secret remain for another day and just concentrate on staying sane. For my friends sake. For Jake's sake.

Through my tears I could see the sun changing from tangerine to a light goldenrod. White, puffy clouds began to part, revealing the pale blue atmosphere. I followed Jake's gaze to see two robins floating overhead, parallel to each other. I didn't say anything but I also saw the faint outline of a large hawk flying towards the woods near my farm. Jake's eyes lowered and rested on mine. The hooded darkness was there as always, but I could also see a beautiful light shining inside his sad mahogany orbs.

"Thank you for understanding Cassie." I reached up to kiss him and for a moment our tears mixed together as one. We embraced once more and then sat up from cold wooden bench. Jake seemed to pause, as if he wanted to tell me something, but instead he just smiled briefly and turned to walk away. I waved goodbye to him as he headed towards his house and me towards my farm. Later we'd see each other at school then my barn, but for now it was time to be alone.

Chapter 1.5 Prologue 

As I flew over the hibernating city I could see two small figures below me, holding each other close. I quickly recognized them as Jake and Cassie. It didn't surprise me. Both of them had been going through a lot of stuff lately. Not like the rest of us weren't, though. Tonight would mark the four-year anniversary of my father's gruesome death. The scene had replayed itself through my mind so many times I no longer became sad seeing it. Just angry. A deep, welling, fiery anger that grew with each passing day. I was so sick of trying to be reasonable and make the best of the situation by being sensible. It wasn't long ago I decided I would do whatever it took to take down V3 for murdering Elfangor. Even if it meant killing myself in the process.

A/N: If you didn't recognize the quote at the beginning it was because it's not real. I made it up for the story's purpose, which is going to be a series. I haven't had anything posted here for several months (just been nagging people about their own stories in reviews lol) but I hope people still enjoyed reading a good old-fashioned Jake and Cassie romance. I'm full of them. ^_^ If you didn't enjoy this story don't worry, this is just a prologue. The series itself won't be just J/C; it will have everyone in them. By the way, if you didn't already catch it this is before all the major changes and stuff. The people who've actually read the recent books, not including myself, unfortunately, know what I'm talking about. Ciao


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